Barleria elegans inflorescence and leaves

The white flowers of Barleria elegans grow in a dense, few-flowered axillary spike.

The short-stalked leaves have spines at the leaf tips. The leaf-shape is ovate, tapering to acutely pointed tips, also tapering to the base. The leaf margins are entire, slightly wavy and folding in or curving up from the midrib. The leaf curves slightly down towards its tip.

A few ascending, in-curving lateral veins are prominent upon the lower leaf surface, recessed above. The lower leaf surface is paler than the dark green upper one. Leaf dimensions are about 8 cm by 3 cm (Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist).